Method of and apparatus for the manufacture of hollow shoe forms



March l939- A. G. LEGGE ET AL' 1,706,303

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW SHOE FORMS Filed March 51, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 19, 1929. A. a. LEGGE ET AL 1,706,303

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW SHOE FORMS Filed March 31, 1927 4 Shee s-Sheet 2 March 19, 1929.. A. G. LEGGE ET AL 1,706,303

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW SHOE FORMS Filed March 31, 1927 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 770$???0 71) 4%; & I w/M w Q L March 19, 1929. A. e. LEGGE ET AL. 1,706,303

\ METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW SHOE FORMS Filed March 31, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fatented Mar. 112, 1929.

u STATES P'A'ENT oFFIcE..

ALFRED G'. LEGGE, OF BRGCKTON, AND MARTIN I1. ALGER, EASTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO 0. S. PIERCE COMPANY, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ivrnrnon on AND APPARATUS non THE MANurAcrunE or HOLLOW SHOE roams.

Application filed March 31, 1927. Serial No. 179,872.

This invention relates to the manufacture of hollow shoe forms from sheet material, such as celluloid, and' has for its object to provide means whereby hollow shoe forms may be manufactured in an economical and simple manner.

In manufacturing shoe forms of this general type heretofore a plurality of molding operations have been commonly. employed for shaping the sheet material upon a last, and even then the form thus produced has contained wrinkles and other objectionable features.

In accordance with the invention an improved shoe form is produced. by forming over a last a suitably shaped blank of sheet material, such as sheet celluloid, preferably,

treated to assist in the shaping operation. This is accomplished by placing the blank over the toe portion of the last and stretching the blank towards .the heel of the last while shaping it thereon in the presence of, heat so that an outer edge of the blank rests smoothly upon the sole of the last. Prefer" ably, theblank has a relativelyjstiff outer edge to engage the sole of the last. while the interior area is softer and more pliable and the whole is held upon the toe portion of the .last during the forming operation. In practicing my method in its preferred form, the celluloid :or similar sheet material is preferably given a preliminary treatment with a liquid which will cause it to soften in the presence of heat but set when the heat is removed, andthereafter the liquid is partly removed from the edges rendering them harder than the interior. One suitable liquid for this purpose is a water solution of alcohol, when-celluloid is the sheet material.

Before explaining the invention in detail it is pointed out that various features described are merely by way of illustration and it is not intended to limit the invention thereby except as expressed by the appended claims. The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawin s, in which;

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of an apparatus suitable for the practice of-the in- Vention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

relation of the parts at the end of the forming operation;

Fig. 5is a sect1onal view taken upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a blank showing its shape before the forming operation;

Fig. 7 is. a perspective View of the finished form;

Fig.8 is a sectional elevational view of a tank in which the blanks are treated prior to the forming operation;

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevational view ofa device inwhich the treated blanks may be stored; I

Fig. 10 is a sectional View taken upon the line 10-10 of Fig. 9; N v

Fig. 11 is a detail view of a treated'blank having a relatively stiff outer edge;

Fig. *12 is an elevational view of a modified form of apparatus;

Fig. 1-3 is a partial elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. '12, showing the blank held against the toe of the last; and

Fig. 14. is a detail perspectiveviewofthe folding roll shown in the apparatus of Figs. 12 and 13.

A suitable apparatus for use in the practice of the invention comprises a receptacle 10 (Figs. 1 and 2), adapted .to contain a heating medium,,such as hot water, mounted upon a suitable support, such as a table 11. Any suitable means may be provided for supporting and moving a last 12 into and out of the receptacle.

within slide ways 14 upon the forward end of thelreceptable 10 and is pivotally connected at its lower end by a link 15 to a weighted arm 16 pivotally mounted upon a support 17. A treadle 18 is pivotally mounted upon the support 17 and is pivotally connected with the arm 16 by a link 19. A hinged last support 20 having arms 21 and 22 is adjustably mounted upon the upper end of the bar 13 by bolts 23 passing through a slot 24 in the arm 22 and engaging the upper end of the bar 13. The arm 21 may be clamped in a fixed position rela- I tive to the arm 22 by a suitable clamp 25.

A stud 26 adapted to engage a hole in the last 12 is adjustably positioned on the arm 21 and for this purpose extends upwardly through a slot 27 in the arm 21 and is secured thereon by nuts 28.

Fixtures having downwardly depending arms 36 are adjustably mounted upon the upper edges of opposite longitudinal sides of the receptacle by a thumb screw 37 passing through a slot 38 in the fixture and engaging the receptacle. A U-shaped support 39 is supported from and extends between the depending arms 36 of the fixtures 85 and isadjustably mounted thereon by bolts 40 passing throughslots 41 in the support 39 and engaging the arms 36. A bar 45 extending across the receptacle 10 is retatably mounted in the support 39 and car ries a frame 46 fixed thereupon. A bracket 47 is pivotally mounted upon the frame 46 and is held normally in a' substantially upright position (as shown in Fig. 1) against a stop 48 on the frame 46 by a spring 49 extending from the bracket 47 and secured to an upwardly extending rod 50 upon the frame 46. A roll 51 is rotatably mounted near the upper end of the bracket 47 and a roll 52 is rotatably' mounted in lugs 53 upon the lower portion of the bracket 47. A roll 54 is held in a bracket 55 mounted upon the forward end of the frame 46 and maybe held against rotation therein by suitable clamps 56. A strip of flexible material 58, such as canvas or rubber, is fixed at one end upon the roll 54 and extends over the roll 51 and under the'roll 52 and is secured at its other end to a clamp 59fixed upon the frame 46. A post 60 isadjustably mounted upon the rear end of the frame 46 and extends upwardly and downwardly therefrom,

1; its position relative to the frame 46 being v upper position of the forward end of the fixed in any convenient manner as by nuts 61. The downwardly extending fp'ortion'of the post 60 serves as a stop limiting the frame 46. The upwardly extending portion of the post 60 serves for carryingweights 62 which counter-balance the frame 46 and tend to maintain the downwardly extending portion of the post 60 in engagement with the bottom of the vessel 10 so as to keep the frame 46 in proper operating position. If desired, a strip of flexible material 65, such .as canvas or rubber, may be extended crosswise of the receptacle 10 and may be suspended from opposite sides thereof by springs 66. The water in the receptacle 10 is heated to a suitable temperature, usually from about 150 to about 180 F. by steam conveyed from any suitable source by a pipe 67 to the pipe 68 provided with apertures 69 within the receptacle.

Tn the manufacture of shoe forms a blank of sheet material, such as celluloid, of the nary treatment as hereinafter more fully de- 70 scribed. The operator then grips the opposite cornersa and b and places the blank in the hot water, the desired temperature of which depends upon the character of the blank being worked, to soften it. Th toe portion 0 of the blank is now brought against the upper of the toe portion of the last 12 with an edge extending above the sole of the last (as shown in Fig. 3) and the last 12 and. the blank are moved downwardly into the hot water so that either or both of the strips 58 and 65 will exert an upward pressure tending to hold the blank against the toe portion of the last.

bracket 47 is forced forwardly so that the roller 51 will press the edge'of the toe portion 0 of the blank against the sole of the toe portion of the last. At the same time the operator stretches the blank by pulling the {10 corners on and 2) towards the heel and sole of the last, or in a diagonal direct-ion, while shaping it thereupon. This operation causes the outer edge of the blank between the points a, c, b to engage and rest smoothly upon the sole of the last.

In accordance with the preferred practice 'of the invention the blank is treated prior to the shaping operation in such a manner that the interior portion (1 will soften in the presence'ofheat and leave an outer edge 0 (Fig. 11) relatively still andin such condition that the blank will set quickly when the heat is removed. A suitable method for accomplishing this comprises immersing the blanks in a tank 72 (Fig. 8) which contains a liquid, preferably, a water solution of a solvent,fsuch as alcohol, for the sheet material. When alcohol is used it should be mixed" in about the proportions of 50 per cent water and 50 per cent alcohol. In practice, I the strength of the solution is controlled by the use of a hydrometer having a spirit proof scale which registers zero for pure water and 200 Upon further K downward movement of the last 12, the 85 eter scale of fromabout 98 to about 120.

substantially all of the liquid in the interior portion a? the blank, but to leave the outer edge 3 exposed to the air so that a portion of the liquid may be removed.

A suitable device for this purpose is shown in Fig.9 anol'eomprises solid end por- 1% of a trapezoid, which are held in spaced re lation by bars 75. The end-portion 73 1s provided with a threaded opening 7 6 to receive a screw 77 operated by a knob 7 8 at one end and having a clamp 79 mounted upon its opposite end to move longitudinally of the device when the screw is rotated, the

' clamp'79 being shaped to conform substantially to the shape of the interior portion d of the blank. It has been found that when the blanks are treated in this manner and placed in the clamping device they will remain in a suitable tempered condition for the practice of the invention about a week.

When blanks thus treated are shaped upon the last 12 as hereinbefore explained the outer. edge portion 6 rests smoothly upon the sole of the last, whereas if that portion had been fully tempered it would stretch out so as to leave the outer edge of the blank which engages the sole of the last too narrow. In practice, the thus treated blank is shaped upon the last 12 and the last together with blank thereon is removed from the supporting stud 26 .and replaced by an-' other similar last. A blank is shaped over the second last which is then removed from the stud 26. By this time the first shaped blank has set sufficiently so that it may be removed from the last without distortion.

The sole of the last 12 is provided with a pair ,ofspaced upwardly projecting sharp objects 80, such as tacks, which are positioned thereon so as .to engage the sole portion of the .form when shaped upon the last and thereby make an impression therein which indicates the position for the rivets 81 which'hold the cross piece 82 to the sole of the form.

In a modified form.of apparatus which may be employed in carrying out the invention, a rod 85 extending across the receptacle 10 is pivotally mounted upon the support 39. A lever 86 having a rearwardly extending arm- 87 and a forwardly extending arnf 88 is fiXed upon the rod 85. The arm 87 carries a weight 89 and stop screw 90. The

arm 88 is provided with a depression or hole 91 at its ends to. receive one end of a bifurcated rod 92. The rod 92 is resiliently held in the arm 88 by a spring 93 and its foremost position is limited by a pin 94: thereon moving in a slot 95 in the arm 88. In the other end of the rod 92 a roll 96 is eccentrically mounted to turn about the pivot pin 97 and is provided with a depression 98 to receive the toe portion of the last 12 and hold a blank thereag'ainst during the forming operation. If desired, a band of flexible material 103, such as rubber, may surround the roll .96 so as to cover the depression 98. v The roll 96 is prevented from turning freely about the pivot pin 97 by a spring 99 extending between an eye 100 *on theroll and a rod 101 on the 'arm,92, its counter-clockwise movement being limited by a pin 102 engaging the surface .of the bi:

furcated portion of the arm 92.

In using this form of apparatus in the manufacture of shoe forms, the blank, preferably, treated as hereinbefore described,

is gripped atthe corners a and and softened in the warm water and placed against the toe portion of the last 12 with an outer edge extending over the sole of the last.

The last 12 is then moved downward into the warm'water with the toe portion engaging the depression 98 or the flexible material over the depression which serves to hold,the blank against the last while the former is stretched towards the heel of the last and shaped thereupon.

What we claim is:

1. The method of making shoe forms which comprises treating a suitably shaped blank of sheet material to soften the interior'portion and leave an outer edge relatively stiff, and shaping the blank over a last with the relatively stiff edgeon the sole of the last.

2. The method of making shoe forms which comprises treating a suitably shaped blank of sheet material with a liquid to wet the shine, removing liquid from an outer odge thereof, and shaping the blank over a last with said outer edge on the sole of the last. I Y

3. The method of making shoe forms which comprises treating a suitably shaped blank of sheet celluloid with a water solution of a solvent therefor in such a manner that the blank will soften in the presence of heat but will set when the heat is removed, and shaping the thus treated blank over a last in the presence of heat.

4./The method of making shoe forms which comprises treating a suitably shaped blank of sheet celluloid with a water solution of alcohol in such a manner that the blank will soften in the presence of heat but willset when the heat is removed, and shaping the thus treated blank over a last in the presence of heat.

5. The method of making shoe forms which comprises treating a suitably shaped blank of sheet celluloid in .such'a manner that the interior portion will soften 'in the presence of heat and leave an outer edge relatively stiff but will set when the heat is removed, and shaping the blank over a last with the relatively stiff outer edge on the soleof the last.

6. 'In an' apparatus of the character described, a receptacle, means for supplying heat within the receptacle, means for movlng a lastinto andbut of the receptacle, and means pivotally mounted within the receptacle forholding a blank of sheet material against the toe portionofytlie last when moving into and out of the receptacle.

7. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a receptacle, means for supplying heat thereto, means for moving a last into and out of the receptacle, and means movably and pivotally mounted within the receptacle for holding a blank of sheet material against the toe portion of the last when moving into and out of the receptacle.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle, means for supplying heat thereto, means for moving a last into and out of the receptacle, a frame movable within the receptacle, and means on said frame for holding a blank of sheet material against the toe portion of the last When moving into and out of the receptacle and including a roll.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle, means for moving a last into and out of the receptacle, a frame pivotally mounted within the receptacle, a bracket pivotally mounted upon the frame,

and a strip of flexible material secured to the frame and extending over said bracket so as to move relative thereto.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle, means for moving a last into and out of the receptacle, a frame pivotally mounted Within the receptacle, a bracket pivotally mounted upon the frame, a strip of flexible material secured to the frame and extending over said bucket so as igroaaoe to move relative thereto, and resilient means acting upon said material.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle,.means for moving a last into and out of the receptacle, a frame movable within the receptacle, means carried by said frame for holding a blank of sheet material against the toe portion of the last, and a spring cooperating with said last mentioned means.

12. The method of making shoe forms which comprises treating a suitably shaped blank of sheet material to soften the in terior portion and leave an outer edge portion relatively stiff, and forming the blank to the shape of a last with the relatively stiff outer edge on the sole of the last While stretching the blank towards the heel of the last to cause the outer edge portion to rest smoothly on the sole of the last.

13. A blank of sheet material adapted to be shaped over a shoe last, said blank having a relatively soft interior portion and a relatively stifl' outer edge portion.

14. A blank of sheet celluloid adapted to be shaped over a shoe last, said blank having a relatively soft interior portion and a relatively stiff outer edge portion.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

ALFRED G. LEGGE. MARTIN L. ALGER. 

